Stabilizer for car trucks



Jan. 2, 1934. E. H. SCHMIDT 1,942,183

STABILIZER FOR CAR TRUCKS lNVENTOR-z Jan. 2, 1934. E. H. SCHMIDT 1,942,183.

STABILIZER FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed Dec. 11. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 ii lg Q a,

INVENTORT ATTO NEY- Jan. 2, 1934. E. H. SCI-YIMIDT 1,942,188

' ATTgRN EY- Patented Jan. 2," 1934 PATENT omcs 1,942,188 I smmmzaa FOR can TRUCKS Ernest H. Schmidt, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, as-- signor to National Malleable and Steel Casts! mpany, Cleve] of 7 Ohio and, Ohio, a corporation Application December 11, 1931 Serial No. 580,254

60laims.

vThis invention relates to stabilizers, and more particularly to an improved construction of that character suitable for employment in car trucks.

In general, it may be stated thatthe present invention involves a construction in which rocker arms are adapted frictionally to engage a relatively movable member in order to produce what may be termed a snubbing action. An object of the invention is, hence, to provide an improved stabilizer which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, effective in operation, and durable in service. More specifically, an object is to make provision in such a stabilizer for universal movement of the rocker arms, so 1; that as the bolster moves laterally and longitudinally with respect to the side frame, the housing can follow this movement without disturbing the position of the base casting which rests firmly on the side frame, or on the spring .2 plank n such is employed in the truck. Another object is to provide such a construction inwhich free action of the parts is insured, and in which danger of binding or sticking due to the device being warped or twisted out of operative position, or other causes, is minimized. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out as the disclosure proceeds. Y

For a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, and partly broken away, of a car truck including a stabilizer, in accordance with the invention. .35. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central, vertical section taken longitudinally of the side frame through the stabilizer shown in Fig; 1. Fig. 3'is a central, vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. 2, at right angles to the :10 section of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5. is a horizontal section taken on the .45 line 5-5 of Fig. 2, the spring having, however,

been removed.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the base plate of the construction, looking at it from the front with respect to its position as shown in Fig. 3. .50 Fig. '7 is a central, vertical section taken similarly to Fig. 2, but partly broken away and of a modified construction. I

Fig. 8 is a view simflar to Fig. 'l of another modification. Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown at A a stabilizers preferably, though not essentially. may

take the place of corner springs at opposite sides of the center line of the bolster. Of course, more than one stabilizer may be used per side frame. A

' Turning now to Figs. 2 to 6, my improved stabilizer is shown as including a housing mem- 7 her 10 formed hollow as at 11 for receiving the upper ends of upright arms 12 formed on rockers 13, which are also formed with generally hori-v zontal arms 14 having flat portions 15 on which spring 16 may seat. Two rockers are shown, but though this number is preferred other convenient numbers may be employed. The housing 10 is shown as provided with a flange 1'7-which acts 7 as a seat for the upper end of spring 16. For

maintaining the stabilizer in assembled relation, 30

a bolt 18 may be employed, having a head 19 for engaging the upper ends of opposed grooves 20 formed interiorly of arms 12. The bolt is shown), as extending through an opening 21 in flange 22 which extends across the hollow portion of the 35 housing, and as having a threaded portion 23 for engagement by nut 24 which in turn is adapted to engage the flange, and lie within the housing and well below the top thereof. this manner, not

only may a 'comparativelyEort bolt be used,

but the flange 22 may be constructed'as to prevent the spring 16 from being drivenvsolid,

by reason of the prior abutment of the under side of the flange. with the tops of arms 12; Under such conditions a column of metal is formed from the top to the bottom of the stabilizer or, in other words, between the bolster and side frame. At the same time, by reason of the fact that the entire securing means lies within the ends of the stabilizer the improved, hereafter de- 0 scribed abutment between same and the bolster and side frame is made possible, there being nothing to interfere with such construction, Furthermore, this construction obviatesany possibllity of the bolt droppingdown through the 101; side frame.

' The rockers 13 are preferably so mounted that they have capacity for substantially universal movement with respect. to pivot plate 25 with which they cooperate. This plate, as best shown no in Figs. 2, and 6, may be generally circular and have-a pair of spaced, generally T-shaped portions 26, curved surfaces being formed, however, in the corners of the ,T and serving as seats 2'7 5 for trunnions 28 formed on the rockers 13. Be-

tween these trunnions the rockers have convexly j curved surfaces 29 for engaging concavely. curved surfaces 0 formed on raised portion 31 of plate 25. This raised portion 31 may be rounded oil as at 32 and the rockers 13'may, if necessary, be somewhat cut away as at 33 in order to permit the arms" 12 to swing slightly outwardly, about pivots formed by contact of surfaces 29 and 30, to engage the sides of the housing frictionally 15 when the spring 16 is compresed, thus pushing down on arms 14. The formation and height of the raised portion 31 is determined in part by this consideration and in part by other factors discussed below.

20 In order to permit the rockers 13 to be 'free to rotate slightly about a vertical axis, the trunnions 28 may be cut away, as shown by dotted lines 34 in Fig. 5. In other words the inner sides of rocking surfaces may be tapered from the center outwardly to their ends, as indicated by the same lines. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 3,

the width of each arm 12 may be somewhat less than the internal diameter of the housing, while the bottoms of the rockers 13 may be beveled as 30, shown by dotted lines 35, so that the members 13 may rock slightly'in a vertical plane transverse to the plane in which they rock to produce frictional engagement, or about point 36. In this manner, provision is made for universalmove- 5 'ment of the rocker arms with respect to the plate 25, with the result that'sticking of the parts is practically eliminated,and a smoothly functionirig-device produced. In order to further pro- ,mote this result, it is desirable to bevel the outer surface of flange 1'7 on housing 10 as shown at 37 and also to bevel the outer surface of the plate 25 as at 38, in order to permit slight shifting of the housing and plate to aid the free action of the parts.

i A spring plate 39 may interposed between the housing 10 and the bolster and have an inturned flange 40 adapted to lie within opening 41 in the top of housing. This ,flange may,be slightly spaced from the walls of said opening to permit some movement of. the housing with respect to the plate. However, the top of the housing may, if desired, abut directly against the bolster.- I

A In order to locate the plate 25 with respect to the side frame, the spring plank E may have an upwardly extending flange 42 for lying in an an nular recess 43in the bottom of the plate 25. The plate 25 may be conveniently formed, as indicated in Fig. 6 and by the dotted line 44 in 'Fig. 5, 0 in order to accommodate said flange and still provide for the necessary strength. The recess 43 may be made somewhat larger than the flange 42 to provide for some relative movement therebetween. 5 Inthis described manner, provided the flanges 40 and 42, and the diameters of the opening 41' and recess 42 be made the same, the whole construction is reversible or may be turned upside, down in the truck without any changes in the other parts, as the outer surfaces of the plate 25 and the flange I at the topof the housing are similar. In assembling the construction it is merely, necessary to seat the head 19 of the bolt 18 in "25 the recesses 20 and then slip the housing down adapted to extend. within the housing and fricover arms 12 so that the opening '21 in the flange 22 passes over the bolt, after which the nut, 24 may be screwed in place. Any suitable'means (not shown) maybe provided for-preventing undesired turning of the nut once it is in place.

Referring now to Fig. '1, there is shown a similar construction in which theplate 45 whichsupports the rocker arms is generally flat, while the arms 46 are tapered upwardly and outwardly from their pivots. The plate -.45 has a projection 47 which fits into a corresponding recess in the spring plank 48, to position-the plate.v In this construction, the bolt 49 extends clear down through the middle of the rockers and engages the underside of plate 45. V In Fig. 8, means are shown provided for engaging the head of an assembly bolt similar to the one shown in Fig. 7, this construction being especially useful where no spring plank is used. In such case, if a hole were cut in the frame for receiving projection 50 on the plate 45', and a hole in the plate for the. head of the bolt there would be danger of the bolt dropping through. Hence, shoulders 51 are shown cut in the rocker arms 46' for receiving the head of the bolt 49'. In this way, the bolt head rests on the plate 45' and cannot fall out. The terms and expressions which I have empldyed are used as terms of description ar d not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any "equivalents of the features shown and described,

or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Iclaim: I

1. In a device .of the character described, a housing,' a plurality of rockers having arms adapted to extend within the housing and frictionally engage, the same, and arms extending generally at right angles to the first-named arms,

a coil spring surrounding said housing and cooperating with the housing and second-named arms, and a plate for engaging the rockers between the ends of arms, the interengaging portions of said rocker and plate being formed to provide a universal joint.

2. In a device of the character described, a housing, a plurality of rockers having arms tionally engage the same, and arms extending generally at right angles to the first-named arms, a coil spring surrounding said housing and cooperating with the housing and second-named arms, and a plate for engaging the rockers between the. ends of the arms, the bottoms of the rockers and adjacent surface of the plate diverging laterally of said device to provide for rocking in a vertical plane transverse to the normal plane of rocking which produces frictional engagement of the first-named arms with the housing.

3. In a device of the character described, a housing, a plurality of rockers having arms adapted to extend within the housing and frictionally engage. the same, andarmsfextending generally at right angles to the first-named arms, a coil spring'surrounding said housing and cooperating with the housing and second-named arms, opposed recesses formed in the first-named arms, a transverse flange in the housing intermediate the ends thereof and including an opening, and assembly means comprising a bolt having a head adapted to lie within andengage the end walls of the recesses, a shank extending through said opening, and means for engaging said flange 150 and the portion of the shank on the opposite side of the flange from the head.

4. In a device of the character described, a housing, a plurality of rockers having arms adapted to extend within the housing and frictionally engage the same, and arms extending generally at right angles to the first-named arms, a coil spring surrounding said housing and cooperating with the housing and second-named arms, means comprising a transverse flange intermediate the ends of said housing for engag ing the ends of the first-named arms to relieve the spring of over-solid blows, and retaining means engaging said first-named arms and said flange, said housing above said flange being adapted to receive a portion of said retaining means during compression of the device.

5. In a device of the character described, a housing, rockers having arms entering the housing for irictionally engaging the same, and arms generally at right angles to the first-named arms,

a coil spring cooperating with the housing and p the second-named arms, spaced trunnions on the rockers, a pivot plate having portions adapted to engage the rockers, respectively, and members extending from said plate on either side of each of said arms and overlying said trunnions.

6. In a car truck including a side frame member and a bolster member, a device of the character described comprising a housing having a flange extending outwardly from one end thereof, a plurality of rockers having arms adapted to extend within the housing and frictionally engage the same, and arms extending generally at right angles to the first-named arms, a coil spring surrounding said housing and cooperating with the flange and second-named arms, a plate for engaging the rockers, said plate having a recess in the bottom thereof for positioning the plate with respect to one of said members. and means in the recess 0! the plate directly beneath the fulcrnms of said arms for transmitting oversolid blows to the side frame and bolster.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT. 

